§ Lord Braine of Wheatleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, where a live child's head slips out of its mother during a partial-birth abortion, to continue with the abortion would be to commit infanticide; and [HL296]
Whether, where a child is born alive during an abortion, then to kill it or to allow it to die would be to commit infanticide or murder. [HL297]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington)We are not aware of "partial birth abortion" being used in the United Kingdom. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, who define late abortions as those over 21 weeks, issued guidance to all its fellows and members in January 1996 for these cases which said: "with terminations after 21 weeks, the method chosen should ensure that the fetus is born dead". If, during an abortion, the operating doctor were to deliver a living baby, the 1967 Abortion Act would no longer have any application, and the law governing the doctor's future action would be exactly the same as in the case of any other delivered child.
§ Lord Braine of Wheatleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What organisations which they fund take:
- (a) a pro-life position; and
- (b) a pro-abortion position,
on abortion-related issues; and how much was given to each such organisation in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [HL298]
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonThe Government fund a number of organisations in the field of reproductive health. The view of these organisations on abortion related issues is not sought as part of the funding process.